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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22810765">Promise</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterironspiderling/pseuds/winterironspiderling'>winterironspiderling</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>WinterSpider Ficlet Series 2020 [19]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Chance Meetings, Childhood Friends, Kid Bucky Barnes, Kid Peter Parker, M/M, Reunions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:08:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22810765</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterironspiderling/pseuds/winterironspiderling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Day Nineteen of WFFC</p><p>//</p><p>Peter meets Bucky on the first day of grade one, and the older boy helps him get through his separation anxiety with a simple pinky promise.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Peter Parker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>WinterSpider Ficlet Series 2020 [19]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619971</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>188</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Winterspider February Ficlet Challenge 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On the first day of grade one, everyone was paired with a sixth-grade buddy. Some kids handled being separated from their parents more easily than others. Peter was struggling.</p><p>“Hey, pal.”</p><p>Peter looked up from his lap to see who was talking to him. It was a big boy from grade six!</p><p>“Hi,” Peter said dejectedly.</p><p>“I’m Bucky. We got paired together for your first day.” He got down on one knee so he could be on Peter’s level.</p><p> “I’m Peter.”</p><p>“How come you’re crying?”</p><p>“B-because I miss my mom. I wanna go home.” Peter wiped at his eyes, embarrassed to be crying in front of a grown-up.</p><p>“I know,” Bucky said. “It’s hard, but you’ll get through it.”</p><p>Peter bit his lip. “I don’t know.”</p><p>“Have you ever heard of a pinky promise?” Bucky asked.</p><p>“Yes! Those are serious.”</p><p>Bucky held out his pinky. “I promise you I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”</p><p>Peter considered it for a second before hooking his pinky with Bucky’s. If Bucky was promising it would be okay, then who was Peter to argue?</p><p>--</p><p>After Peter’s first day, he only ever saw Bucky in the hallways or on the playground, but they always waved to each other. Peter’s favourite was when Bucky would hold his hand out for a high five when they walked by each other. It made Peter feel cool.</p><p>Peter was sad when Bucky left to go to high school. All he could do was wait until he got to grade six, so he could help someone like Bucky had helped him.</p><p>--</p><p>On Peter’s first day of high school he remembered Bucky’s decade old promise and knew he had nothing to be scared of.</p><p>--</p><p>Bucky became a distant memory for Peter until he had his first day at a new job. Peter would think of him periodically, often questioning why he even still cared after so many years. It was funny how certain events could have such a profound effect even if they were seemingly inconsequential.</p><p>--</p><p>Peter thought of Bucky again on his first day of college. He didn’t feel as bad as he had on his first day of grade one, but the familiar first day jitters struck him while he was on the subway headed to his class. He had to remind himself not to white-knuckle the grab rail.</p><p>“You look nervous about something.”</p><p>Peter grimaced when he realized someone was talking to him. He had his headphones in and didn’t want to be bothered.</p><p>“Yeah,” Peter said without looking. “First day.”</p><p>The man didn’t say anything right away, so he glanced up.</p><p>No way.</p><p>Peter smiled. “Hey, I know you.”</p><p>Bucky raised his eyebrows. “Still having bad first days, huh?”</p><p>“Dude, it’s been like fifteen years,” Peter exclaimed. “I can’t believe you remember.”</p><p>“Pinky promises are very serious. No way I’d forget entering into a contract like that.”</p>
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